Toy scale



W. H. KAISER April 9, 1963 TOY SCALE Filed Feb. 29, 1960 r m a 2 w w in .M M

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United States Patent 3,084,755 TQY SCALE Wiiiiam H. Kaiser, 2915 Weisser Paris Ave, Fort Wayne, Ind. Filed Feb. 29, 196i), Ser. No. 11,546 2 Claims. (Cl. 177-230) This invention relates to a toy scale.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a miniature or toy scale for use by a child, which will simulate in appearance and operation a conventional bathroom scale.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy scale which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is sturdy, and which will provide a great deal of play value for a child.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the toy scale.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view with the bottom cover removed.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on lines 33 of PEG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a front end View.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the toy scale showing the platform in its normal elevated position, and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but with the platform partially lowered, such as when something is positioned on the platform.

The housing, generally indicated at 10, has a flat top portion 12. with downwardly extending side and end walls 14 and 16. Struck out of the top portion 12, approximately intermediate the length of the housing 10, are a pair of spaced downwardly extending ears 18 which support a spindle or shaft 20 which forms a pivot for the weighing platform to be described.

A weighing platform, generally indicated at 22, is positioned over a portion of the top of the housing and the front end of the platform is provided with a pair of spaced downwardly depending ears 24 which extend through the spaced openings 26 in the top of the housing. The ears 24 have suitable openings to accommodate the spindle or shaft 2! so that the platform 22. is pivotally supported at its front end on said shaft 20. The opposite ends of shaft 20 are enlarged as at 28 to prevent removal of said shaft.

Adjacent the rear of the housing are a pair of spaced depending cars 36 which are struck out of the top 12. These ears each have a suitable opening to receive a rotatable shaft, generally indicated at 32.

The shaft 32 is provided with a pinion 34 and with a pulley 36 fixedly secured thereto. Secured to the pulley 36 is one end of a flexible cord 38. The opposite end of the cord 33 is secured to a rotatable spindle or shaft 4-0 which carries the rotating drum or cylinder forming the indicator scale, to be described, and generally designated by the numeral 42.

Secured to the rear end of the weighing platform 22, approximately centrally thereof, is a depending member generally indicated at 44, which extends through a suitable opening 45 in the top portion 12 of the housing. The depending member 44 has a vertical slot 46 and the front wall adjacent the slot is provided with teeth to form a rack 4-3 for engagement with the rotatable pinion 34 which is confined within the slot 46.

Adjacent the front end of the housing 10 are a pair of spaced depending ears 50, each provided with a suitable opening to provide a support for the rotatable 3,984,755 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 "ice spindle or shaft 40. Fixedly secured to the shaft 40 is the drum or cylinder 54 which carries on its peripheral surface an annular band 56 of graduations. This forms the indicator scale 42.

It will be seen that the upper portion of the housing 10 is shaped to form a concavo-convex portion 58 to accommodate the drum 54 and said concavo-convex portion has an enlarged rectangular shaped opening 60 whereby the graduations on said drum are visible. Fixed pointers 62 are formed centrally of the opening 60.

A coil spring 64 surrounds a portion of the shaft 40. One end of the coil spring 64 is attached to the shaft 40 as at 66 and the opposite end of the coil spring is attached to the ear 5%).

Secured to the shaft 40 is the opposite end of the flexible cord 38, a portion of which also winds around the shaft 40. The coil spring 64 will normally maintain the shaft do in such position that the cord 38 will hold the rear shaft 32 so that pinion 34 thereon will maintain the rack 48 in ths position shown in FIGURE 6, that is, the rear end of the platform 22 will be in its uppermost position. In this normal position the numeral 0 on the scale will be adjacent the pointers 62, as indicated in FIGURE 1.

When the child places an object on the platform 22 it will cause the platform 22 to pivot about the shaft 20 and the rear end of the platform will move downwardly, whereby the rack 43 on member i t- Will rotate the pinion 34, causing the shaft 32 to rotate clockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 3, thereby unwinding the cord 38 from shaft 4i? and rotating said spindle and scale indicator 42 thereon clockwise, exposing the numerals progressively in higher number on the scale indicator. As the shaft 40 rotates clockwise, the spring 64 is tensioned.

When the weight is removed from the platform 22, the spring 64 will rotate the shaft 40 counterclockwise and the cord 38 will rotate the rear shaft 32 and fixed pinion 34 thereon counterclockwise to cause the rack 48 in engagement with the pinion to move to its uppermost position, as shown in FEGURE 6, thereby elevating the platform to its normal position. The bottom of the casing is closed by a suitable bottom cover. The opposite ends of each of the shafts 32 and 4% are flattened to prevent removal thereof.

The pivoting of the platform 22 and the movement of the scale indicator when an object is placed thereon simulates the actions of a conventional bathroom scale and gives the child the impression that the miniature scale is performing the function of a conventional scale and therefore provides great play value.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A toy scale comprising a housing, a platform positioned on said housing, a rotatable shaft within said housing supporting an indicator scale, means for pivotally supporting said platform at one end thereof on a fixed axis, a rotatable shaft inside said housing provided with a pinion, a rack member secured to the opposite end of said platform and in engagement with said pinion to support said opposite end of said platform for up and down movement with the pivoting of said platform at one end on the fixed axis, and a cord connecting said indicator supporting shaft and said pinion supporting shaft so that when said platform is pivoted downwardly it will actuate said indicator scale.

2. A toy scale comprising a housing, a platform positioned on said housing, a first rotatable shaft within said housing supporting an indicator scale, means for pivotally supporting said platform at one end thereof on second rotatable shaft to support said opposite end of the platform for up and down movement with the pivoting of said platform at the one-end on the fixed axis, a cord connecting said first rotatable shaft and said second rotatable shaft, spring means for normally maintaining said first rotatable supporting shaft in such position that the cord Will maintain said second rotatable shaft in position so that the platform is supported in normal elevated position, said platform when depressed adapted to cause said second rotatable shaft and said first rotatable shaft to rotate and thereby rotate the indicator scale.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,138 Robertson July 21, 1914 1,259,362 Chatill-on Mar. 12, 1918 2,507,950 Ballard et al. May 16, 1950 

1. A TOY SCALE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A PLATFORM POSITIONED ON SAID HOUSING, A ROTATABLE SHAFT WITHIN SAID HOUSING SUPPORTING AN INDICATOR SCALE, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING SAID PLATFORM AT ONE END THEREOF ON A FIXED AXIS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT INSIDE SAID HOUSING PROVIDED WITH A PINION, A RACK MEMBER SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID PLATFORM AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PINION TO SUPPORT SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID PLATFORM FOR UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT WITH THE PIVOTING OF SAID PLATFORM AT ONE END ON THE FIXED AXIS, AND A CORD CONNECTING SAID INDICATOR SUPPORTING SHAFT AND SAID PINION SUPPORTING SHAFT SO THAT WHEN SAID PLATFORM IS PIVOTED DOWNWARDLY IT WILL ACTUATE SAID INDICATOR SCALE. 